Armenian church architecture

Armenian church architecture is the architectural style of the Armenian church buildings created since the Apostolic era of Christianity in the Armenian Highland during the 1st century. It was developed over the last 1900 years. According to professor Dickran Kouymjian (Ph.D. in Armenian Studies from Columbia University),[1] the unique national style of Armenian church architecture came into being by the late 6th or early 7th century, probably becoming the first national style in Christian architecture, long before the Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic or the less known Ethiopian, Scandinavian and Slavic styles were concretely formed.[2]

Characteristics

Christianity's institution as Armenia's official religion in 301 allowed new developments in Armenian architecture. The first Armenian churches were built on the orders of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, and were often built on top of pagan temples, imitating some aspects of Armenian pre-Christian architecture. Armenian churches particularly have several distinctive features with common characteristics:

Classification of traditional Armenian churches

Within the bounds of the aforementioned common characteristics, individual churches display considerable variation which may reflect time, place, and the creativity of its designer. Toros Toramanian distinguished the following classical styles while studying these variations in the early 20th century:[3]

The Classical Styles of Armenian Architecture According to Toros Toramanian[3]
Style Armenian nomenclature Example
Basilica Bazilik (Բազիլիկ) Yererouk
Domed basilica Gmbetakir bazilik (Գմբեթակիր բազիլիկ) Tekor Basilica
Cruciform Etchmiadznatip (Էջմիածնատիպ) Etchmiadzin Cathedral
Vertical-emphasis rectangular Oughatzig karankiun (Ուղղագիծ քառանկյուն) Saint Gayane Church
Radial Sharavighayin (Շառավիղային) Saint Hripsime Church
Circular Zvartnotsatip (Զվարթնոցատիպ) Zvartnots Cathedral

References

  1. Dr. Dickran Kouymjian
  2. Arts of Armenia, Architecture
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Armen, Garbis (1992), An Architecture of Survival, p. 71, ISBN 0-9695988-0-7
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